FAQ: Florida Veterans Benefits
What are Florida Veterans Benefits? Florida Veterans Benefits are for veterans with service-connected mental and physical disabilities. These disability benefits are administered by the Veterans Administration. Veterans Benefits are a federal program and are not actually connected to the state government at all. However, many veterans still refer to them as “Florida Veterans Benefits.”
Who can obtain Florida Veterans Benefits? VA Disability Benefits are strictly for veterans with service-connected mental and physical impairments. The Veterans Administration has lengthy guidelines outlining eligibility for Veterans Benefits. There are a few main hurdles that often prevent veterans from receiving Veterans Benefits in Florida. First, you cannot have a dishonorable discharge and receive Veterans Benefits in Florida. Second, you are going to have to prove your impairments are actually related to your time in the service. Many veterans in Florida do not obtain Veterans Benefits simply because they do not present enough evidence to prove their physical and mental disabilities are from their time in the service.
Are Florida Veterans Benefits available to National Guard and Reservists? Generally, National Guard and Reservists are not eligible for Veterans Benefits. But, if you were activated by the federal government, you may be eligible to receive Veterans Benefits. Activation by a state government does not qualify you for Veterans Benefits from the Veterans Administration.
How much do Florida Veterans Benefits pay monthly? Some disabled veterans in Florida are receiving more than $3,831.30 a month from the Veterans Administration. The amount you will receive from the Veterans Administration depends on your mental and physical impairments. You will receive a VA Disability rating that will be based on the number and severity of mental and physical conditions combined. The VA Disability rating you receive will determine how much you will receive from the Veterans Administration monthly. However, if you receive a low VA Disability rating, you should appeal and not accept the Veterans Administrations decision.
Will I receive backpay for my Florida Veterans Benefits? Many Florida veterans are entitled to backpay when they are approved for Veterans Benefits. Backpay is the money you should have been receiving monthly throughout the VA process. Your effective date is going to determine when you should have started receiving payments. Many veterans are shocked to find out their effective date was years ago and that they are owed thousands of dollars from the Veterans Administration.
What if I was previously denied Florida Veterans Benefits? Lots of disabled veterans in Florida are denied Veterans Benefits. Don’t be discouraged if you were denied, it is all too common. If you received your denial within the last one year, you may have the option to appeal. VA Benefits appeals can be very complicated and we highly suggest you talk to a Veterans Benefits lawyer. Veterans Administration law is much more complex than many veterans and their families realize.
Should I hire a lawyer to obtain Florida Veterans Benefits or a free VSO? Every Veterans Benefits client from Florida at Woods & Woods has one thing in common with each other: they were denied Veterans Benefits or received a low-rating when they applied. Many of these veterans used a free non-lawyer VSO to help them with their application. The sad truth is, lots of non-lawyer VSO’s simply don’t know VA law well enough to present your case to the Veterans Administration properly. Many of our clients lost their Veterans Benefits claim because some free non-lawyer VSO did not know what they were doing.
Get Legal Help Obtaining Your Florida Veterans Benefits
Since 1985, Woods & Woods has been fighting for injured and disabled people. Our highly-skilled lawyers know VA law and have represented thousands of veterans against the Veterans Administration. We fight to get Florida’s veterans the money they deserve for their service-connected disabilities. You only pay our Veterans Disability lawyers if you win your appeal. If our Veterans Benefits lawyers do not get you VA Disability Benefits, you don’t owe us a penny.
